1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to airbags that provide side impact protection for occupants of automotive vehicles.
2. Background Art
Side airbag systems for automotive vehicles are well known. Current side airbag systems typically include an airbag module mounted in or on a seatback, usually adjacent the outboard portion of the seatback and/or the side wall of the vehicle. Such airbag modules include an airbag stored in a deflated condition and an inflator that provides gasses to inflate the airbag when triggered by an impact or roll-over sensor. When inflated, the side airbag expands to a position between seat occupant and the door, B-pillar, or vehicle side wall adjacent the seat, thereby providing restraint and/or cushioning for the occupant's head, thorax, arm, and/or shoulder regions. See, for example, U.S. patent application US 2006/0012155 A1, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
Attempts have been made to improve occupant safety by tailoring the inflated position and/or shape of the side airbag. Achieving a configuration of the airbag to restrain and/or cushion the occupant's head, as well as the occupant's upper arm, shoulder, and thorax regions has resulted in complicated and expensive airbag designs. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,559,573 teaches a side airbag in which an internal strap connects inboard and outboard surfaces of the side airbag at a boundary location between lower and upper chambers of the bag. Such designs are inherently complicated and expensive to manufacture.